The name — fat — may make it sound like something you shouldn’t eat. But fat is an important part of a healthy diet. Fat is one of the macronutrients in human nutrition. Aside from providing energy, it also has other key functions such as aiding the absorption of fat soluble vitamins and producing hormones. One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding this nutrient is that eating fat will make you fat. Fat does not make you fat, excess calories do! But more of that later.

There are many types of fats, some good and some bad. Too much fat, especially the bad kind, can cause serious health complaints such as obesity, higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels. These in turn lead to a greater risk of heart disease.

Like amino acids in protein, fat contains essential fatty acids (EFAs). These EFAs are, as their name suggests, essential to good health and likely to help the heart and immune system. The human body cannot make its own (synthesize) these EFA’s and therefore must get them from food sources.

Types of Fat

Saturated and Unsaturated

The two main types of fat are saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are generally considered better for us than saturated fats. The difference between the two fats is their chemical makeup and therefore different behaviors inside the body.

Saturated fats can increase bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in human blood and are often called the “bad fats.” Saturated fats are found in animal products.

Unsaturated fats are referred to as the good or healthy ones. They are found mostly in vegetable products and are healthy because they tend to lower the bad cholesterols (LDL) while raising levels of good cholesterols (HDL). Sources include vegetable oils (olive & canola oil), nuts, seeds and seafood (salmon, tuna, shrimp).

Hydrogenated or Trans Fat

Hydrogenated Fat or Trans Fat is manufactured fat used in processed foods. It contains some qualities desirable to food manufacturers, but is perhaps the unhealthiest of fats. It is found in fast food. It increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol in the blood. Consume as little as possible of fats of this kind.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol also is found in some of the foods you eat.

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins (lip-o-PRO-teens). These packages are made of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Having healthy levels of both types of lipoproteins is important.

LDL cholesterol sometimes is called “bad” cholesterol. A high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. (Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your body.) HDL cholesterol sometimes is called “good” cholesterol. This is because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver removes the cholesterol from your body.

People with high cholesterol levels are more likely to develop health problems. The risks are increased further for people who also smoke, have high blood pressure, are physically inactive and unfit, are overweight or suffer from diabetes. The common cause of high cholesterol levels in modern society is the consumption of too much saturated fat.

Healthy Fat Tips

Read the labels of foods you buy. Try to reduce the amount of trans fats, hydrogenated fats and saturated fats in your diet. Always favor foods with unsaturated fats.

Fat Doesn’t Make You Fat

Over the years, fat has become a dirty word. Its meaning has become synonymous with weight gain because the ‘fat’ we eat in foods is the same word we use to describe someone that is overweight. Though eating fat can lead to excessive weight gain, it is not the fats that are to blame. Excess calories are. If you eat more calories than you burn, your body will store that extra energy as fat for later use. Whether you eat too much fat, protein or carbohydrates, the result will be the same; fat storage. Eating fat does not make you fat.

The Bottom Line

Fat is an essential nutrient that you cannot live without. Losing weight by eliminating fat (or any other macronutrient) from your diet is unhealthy and will lead to less than desirable results. A balanced diet that contains good fats while limiting the bad ones will lead to a healthier and more productive lifestyle

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About Me

I am a 47 year old Canadian from Edmonton, Alberta. Proud mom of two university going daughters, a wife, an IT professional and a fitness enthusiast. I have lived and worked in three countries across three continents and speak four languages. My husband and I love travelling. Especially to the Caribbean during winter!